It’s true, there needs to be better intersection design here. But it seems unconscionable that PW wishes to remove the existing medians before they’re ready to replace with something “better.” Are they saying they’d rather have motorists hit pedestrians than concrete?

Here’s what would help solve the problem:

– Extend the protected bike lanes.

They currently start/end at Portland. The section between the freeway bridges and Portland was overlaid this year, but striped as three lanes. It’s awful. My bike commute takes me across 28th Street at 5th Ave, and it’s extremely hostile. And the problem with the median at 28th/Portland is precisely because of this third lane drop. So get rid of the third lane further back.

First off, I agree about extending the bike lanes across the highway. It is scary AF to bike on either street west of 35. However… that’s a totally different issue. And it will be addressed in the next few years. It’s on the city’s near-term project map.

This is about those awkward medians. They force drivers to make extremely square turns in tight space in order to stay in their lane. Why not round the squares curbs to allow more natural left turns? Win-win, no?

Shallow turns that can be taken at speed are common and appear natural because we see them so often in America. But there’s nothing more or less natural about them than any other turning geometry. Nature has 360° of turn possibilities to share with us.

“Are they saying they’d rather have motorists hit pedestrians than concrete?”

That’s exactly what Kotke is saying, which is why he really ought to be fired. It’s unacceptable and I don’t think someone with that attitude can be tolerated in that job. He’s never going to understand what his job actually is.

After reading Steve Brandt’s article in the Strib, it’s clear something is broken. Public Works is not representing Minneapolis. It’s time for an all-out assault on car-centric planning, and “forced retirements” for some senior-level PW staff.

What if they said they were going to rip out the car lanes until they had a better design, would that seem reasonable?

I came home early this morning on 28th street and a car turned off 12th Ave to go the WRONG WAY on 28th. When 26th/28th were my usual commute, I saw this happen at least once a week somewhere between Bloomington & Park/Portland (usually from the Abbot driveway, not a street.) Maybe the better design will have traffic slowing medians everywhere a car could possibly turn.

Most of the ramps on and off the Greenway, and the Bryant bypass bridge ramps, require cyclists to make hairpin 180 degree turns. Do they just think we’re better than drivers, that drivers can’t learn to make 90 degree turns in their own lane?